Monday, November 19, 2012

You are still the sweetest little thing I have ever seen. Your laugh melts our hearts, and with your impish grin you could get away with murder.

You still love people, animals, being outside, playing in water & eating. But there are more words now, more silly antics, more drama.

You still love to explore and discover and play. But not with toys. You look at toys like they are something beneath you..."who me, play with that???". Instead we play outside with the dirt. We play with the pots and pans in the kitchen while we are cooking. We read books and drag around our stuffed animal friends. We play with friends, 'old' and 'new' (when you are 18 months, that's a relative term!).

You are still tall (85%) and lean (35%), and we still haven't moved out of size three diapers.

You are still beautiful, with big blue eyes and crazy curly hair.

You still teach us to notice people and to be kind.

You still don't like to miss anything, from cuddle-time, to talk-time, to play-time, to dinner-time, you want to be included.

You are still a little bit of trouble, and you still are full of opinions!

Most importantly, you are still our little one. We are still thankful for every day with you, and we still love you more than we can say.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

On Monday nights I host/facilitate a small group for some really sweet, amazing ladies. Love them!

This year we have been doing the Treasure Principle Bible Study. I have really enjoyed the study for lots of reasons. Our conversations on Monday nights always leave me inspired to go out and start giving of my time and my money to something that matters. For eternity. For people. For the Kingdom of God. For a hurting world. And there are so many hurts; it can be a little overwhelming.

One of hurts that has been on my heart is human trafficking and the modern-day slave trade. I have recently been getting involved and getting to know some really cool ministries. And let me tell you, I had no idea. I am still floored when I think of what is going on in Houston and all over the world. And the more I learn, the more I have to do something. You can't learn about these things and then go back to normal.

And my prayer has been that I will be moved to let this idea of living for the Kingdom permeate my life. So that Addie grows up learning how to help a hurting world. So that our time, money and resources are spent helping a hurting world. The main gist of the Treasure Principle is that where you spend your time and money show you where your heart is.

While Americans, even Christians (even me!), tend to believe that the one who dies with the most toys win, the reality is that you can't take anything with you. But...you can send it ahead. And you do that by investing NOW in the kingdom of God.

So Matt and I are trying to be more deliberate. It is a daunting and challenging task that I know we will never do perfectly (or anywhere near that!). Thankfully, there is grace for when we fall short.

One of the ways we are convicted to be more deliberate is the companies that we support with our money. Because, like it or not, we vote with our money. Probably more than we do on election day. We are telling the companies that we buy from that we are fine with how they do business, and we are supporting their ethics (or lack there-of).

One of the two issues that we have decided that we can't budge from, even when it is very inconvenient, is the plight of the unborn and child trafficking.

And this is where it gets sticky.

Because a lot of the food we buy profits from the child trafficking and abortion industries.

And all of the chocolate I love to eat? Unless it is fair trade (which is a very small percentage of the chocolate we consume), it is farmed by children that are being trafficked. Hersey and Nestle are two of the worst companies. Articles: Here, Here.

So what can we do? I know that will look different for each person. But I do think we all need to be more deliberate. What we buy and where we spend our money MATTER. It is more expensive (sometimes a lot more expensive) to buy products that are fair-trade. And I really miss eating fritos with my favorite bar-b-que sandwich. But...I want my decisions to make a difference. And that chocolate doesn't seem nearly as appealing now anyway.

And for those that choose to celebrate Halloween, here is a great article with suggestions for ethical Halloween candy . And, I promise...my next post will be more fun :).

Thursday, October 11, 2012

And, no, we aren't adopting. Although I wish we were. But we are sponsoring!

Our church partners with several orphanage in Kenya to help provide a home, education, love and, most importantly, Christ, to precious little children who would otherwise not have a home. The orphanages are amazing. Each child lives with wonderful house parents, along with other kiddos of the same age. Their needs are met in a way they never have been before, they are LOVED on, they are taught, and shown, Christ, on a daily basis. It makes me so happy.

Matt and I have already been so blessed by this little guy. He has opened our eyes to suffering and to redemption. And we get to email with him...LOVE it and LOVE HIM. We can't wait to go visit him as soon as the Lord allows us too.

And we can't wait to introduce him to this little cutie...

Brandon calls her 'his little sister, Addison'...how sweet is that!?!

Matt and I pray Philippians 1:3-11 over both of them...

"I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now.For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."